Transmission-lever-locking device



A. M. HAMILTON AND e.'w. DOXSEE.

TRANSMISSION LEVER LOCKING DEVICE.

" APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1920,

' Patented Feb. 22,1921.

INVENTOR5.

ALEXANDER *MACD. HAMILTON GEORGE w. 00x5 in DOWALL HAMILTON UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MAODOWALL HAMILTON AND GEORGE WAL ER DOXS EE, or TORONTO,

ONTARIO, CANADA.

TRANSMISSION-LEVER-LOCKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

7 Application filed June 1, 1920. Serial No. 885,722.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER MAC- and GEORGE WALTER Doxsnn, both of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission-Lever-v Locking Devices, of which the following is the specification.

Our invention relates to transmission lever locking devices, and the object of the invention is to devise simple and efficient means for locking the transmission lever in a statlonary position so that it cannot be oper;

ated by an unauthorized person, and at the same time to provide a lock which will automatically engage in the locking position without the employment of a key, and which is unlocked by key operated mechanism, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure '1 is a sectional view through my locking device and the upper portion of the transmission casing, and showing the trans mission lever and the parts of the locking mechanism in the locked position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the parts of the locking'mechanism in the unlocked position.

Fig. 3 is a similarview to Fig. 1 taken at right angles to the section shown in Fig.1. f

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on line 44 Fi s. 1 and 2.

n the drawings like characters of refer-' ence indicate corresponding parts in each I figure.

1 indicates the upper portion of the trans mission housing of an automobile and in which is located thexhalf socket 2 in which is supported the transmission lever. 3 indicates the top of the transmission housing in which is formed the half socket 4 opposing the half socket 2 of the housingproper. 5 indicates the transmission lever which is provided with the usual" ball portion 6 fitting in the half sockets2 and 4 according to common practice. The transmission top 3 is provided with an annular surrounding flange 7 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. 8 indicates a sleeve which is provided at its upper end with an annular enlargement 9 formed by an annular member screwed or otherwise secured to theupper end of the sleeve 8. 10 indicates a securing screw which is screwed into an internally threaded orifice 11 so as to hear at its inner end-against the transmission lever 5, thereby securing the sleeve 8 in a stationary position upon the transmission lever. 12 indicates an annular enlargement formed at the lower end of. the sleeve 8. The periphery oftheterior of the bell and extend inwardly 76 therefromin proximity to the lower edge of the bell. 18 and 19 indicate latch looking arms which'are pivotally mounted atone end upon a suitable portion of the bell 13 as shown at 20. The inner edges of the look- .ing arms are inclinedtoward their lower faces. Although we show the arms 18 and 19 pivotally connected together and to the bell 13, it will of course be understoodthat these arms might be mounted at separate pivotal points instead of at the same point as shown. The opposite of free ends of the arms 18 and 19 oppose each other in close proximity being held apart by means which we will hereinafter describe. 21 is a spring bearing against the arms 18 and 19 tending to force them togetherx. 22 indicatesan internal boss formed'in the bell 13 such, boss being provided with a bore 23 in which is located a barrel lock 24whioh may be of anytype commonly in use and in which the key must be turned to the locking position before it can be withdrawn. member of the lock 23 is provided with a stem 25. 26 indicates a cam whichissecured to the stem 25 and is located between thefree ends of the locking'arms 18 and 19.

It will be noticed that the exterior diameter of the bell 13. at its lower end corresponds to the interior diameter of the annular flange 7, so that when the bell '13 is The turnable in its lower or locking position as indicated in Fig. 1 it exactly fits at its lower end within the annular flange '7.

Having described the principal parts involved in our invention we will briefly describe the operation of the same;

In order to lock the transmission lever so as to render it inoperative the bell is forced downward from the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the lower end of the bell 13 enters and fits within the flange 7. In order to accomplish this the bell is forced down against'the compression spring 15. As'the bell 13 is carried downward the locking arms 18 and 19 which are carried thereby and are provided with inclined inner edged faces corresponding to the incline or the sleeve enlargement 12 are brought into engagement with the sleeve enlargement, 12, the inclined faces of the enlargement'12and the arms 18 and19 contacting. By the continued downward movement oi the bell the arms 18 and 19 are gradually spread "apart against the compression of the spring 21. By this operation the free endsof the arms 18 and 19 are drawn away from the sides of the cam 26, such cam remaining in its normal or looking position. As soon as the arms 18 and 19 are carried below the on largement 12 they are 'forced together by the spring 21 so that their inner edge portions are carried beneath the outer edge of the enlargement 12, the parts then assuming the position shown in Fig. 1. Bythis means it will be seen that the parts are very rigidly locked, the locking arms 18 and 19 being interposed between the lugs 16 and 17 and the opposing portions of the enlargement 12 absolutely prevent any upward movement of the bell. At the same time the flange 7'? prevents any tendency for the hell to move laterally when it is attempted to swing the transmission lever 5. The flange 7 also alosolutely prevents the insertion oi a lever beneath the bell to force it upward. lV'hen it is desired to unlock our'tinnsmission leverso that it may be operated, the key of the lock 24: is inserted therein and the lock given a quarter turn. By this means the cam 26 is carried to a position at right anglestothat shown in the drawing. The ends of the cam '26 by this operation are forced against the free ends of the arms-18 and 19 so as to spread them apart carrying the inner edge portions of the arms outward clear of the enlargement 12. The spring 15 then acts to force the bell 13 upward clear of the flange 7 so that the lever 5 may be operated in the normalway.

It will be noted that the lever according to the construction shown is locked in the neutral position, but it will of course be understood'that my construction might be readily adapted to lock the lever in the reverse position if desired.

From this description it will be seen that we have devised a very simple and ellicient form of locking device which will secure the transmission lever in a stationary rigid position in such a way that there will be no possibility of: being tampered with by any unauthorized person and which will be strong and endurable, having no parts liable to get out of order and which will be simple and cheap in construction.

WVhat we claim as our invention is.

1. In a transmission lever locking device, the combinationwith a transmission housing, and a transmission lever carried by the housing so as to swing, of a sleeve secured to thetransmission lever having end enlargements, a bell'having a central orifice through which'the sleeve freely extends, a spring surrounding the sleeve between the top of the bell and the lower enlargement of the sleeve, means for automatically locking the bell when moved downward into engagement with the housing, and. key operated means for releasing such locking means.

' 2. In a transmission lever locking device, the combination with a transmission housing, and a transmission lever carried by the housing so asto swing, of a sleeve secured tothe transmission lererhaving end enlargements, the lower of which. is flared outward, a springextending between the upper end of the bell and the lower enlargement, spring pressed locking members carried by the bell and having inclined faces adapted to engage the inclined face of the flaring enlargementand to be spread outward when brought into engagement therewith, and to spring inward below the lower edge-of the enlargement, and key operated means for withdrawing such spring pressed members.

3. In a transmission lever locking device. the combination with a transmission housing, and a transmission lever carried by the housing so as to swing, of a bell having an orifice through which the transmission lever passes, a stationary abutment having a flared outer edge, a spring between the abutment and the bell, opposing lug projections extending inwardly from the bell, locking members adapted to simultaneously engage the upper face of each bearing lug and the opposing lower face of'the abutment, spring means for forcing such locking members into the engaged position, and key operated means for withdrawing such locking members from the engaged position.

1. In a transmission lever locking device, the combination with a transmission housing, and a transmission lever carried by the housing so as to swing, of a bell having an orifice in the top through which the transmission lever is adapted to pass, an abutment carried by the transmission lever and having outwardly flared periphery, a spring extending between the abutment and the top of the bell, opposing projections extending inwardly from the bell, spring pressed looking arms pivotally mounted upon the bell and having inclined inner edge portions adapted to engage the flaring portion of the abutment when the bell is forced downward, and to enter between the abutment and the bell projections when the bell is forced to its final locking position, a key operated lock, and a cam operated thereby for forcing 10 the locking members outward from their locking position beneath the abutment.

ALEXANDER MACDOWALL HAMILTON. GEORGE WALTER DOXSEE. 

